Before They Were Senshi: Series 1 Rei Hino
by mercuryrhapsody405
Summary: Ever wonder about the past lives of the Sailor Senshi? Here is the story of Rei Hino/Sailor Mars starting with when she was only five years old.
1. Five Years Old: The Lifelong Companions

**Before They Were Senshi: Series 1**

**Rei Hino**

**I do not own the original Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon in any way, shape, or form.**

**Five Years Old…**

The cherry blossom trees at our humble shrine let go of their leaves, and allowed them to flutter through the warm spring air. The sky was a beautiful bright blue, not a cloud to be found. This time of year was the best for my family and I. It was full of memories, and sweet cherry dreams. I run through piles of neatly raked leaves that my grandfather had taken so painstakingly long to make. I would smile, and laugh. Hikawa Shrine was a place of worship. My grandfather owned the shrine, and my parents were soon to inherit it once he was too old to work. Yet grandfather always seemed upset when they spoke of him giving it up. It was his most sacred place in the entire world. He built it from the ground up, and it now served as a beautiful place of worship for tons of people. It was all he could ever ask for. I remember my mother, always patting me on the head, telling me,

"One day, when you're a big girl Rei, you too will take care of grandpa's shrine."

I would smile wide, and run around singing and dancing.

"I get the shrine! I get the shrine! I get the shrine! I get grandpa's shrine!"

Grandfather himself was not too pleased about this, but I sure as hell was. It was a dream come true for me. Ever since the day Mother told me I would inherit that place, I fell in love with it, and was utterly attached to it. I did chores, such as sweeping the front walkway, and polishing the pretty vases that lined the inside walls of the temple. My parents were beaming at my happiness, and my responsibility. I wanted to _prove _I could own the temple someday, and that's exactly what I did. I worked so hard that it would be impossible for Grandfather to tell me no. I would have this beautiful place to myself. This utterly gorgeous immaculate place of worship would soon be mine!

* * *

Now, I had turned five years old on that very same week. To me, it was no big deal, and my parents simply arranged a little picnic under the cherry-blossom trees. No presents, streamers or balloons were needed. My mother made iced tea and lemonade, while my father brought homemade oringiri. Grandfather had picked out some watermelons from the local market and sliced them up in a large glass container. We sat under the largest cherry-blossom tree. It stood at the center of our shrine, its petals scattered around the concrete, creating a large pink blanket. We had gotten a blanket ourselves! This one was checkered, and we lied it in the middle of the pink petals perfectly. I plopped myself down, and Father placed a little red birthday candle on top of an especially large oringiri. He lit it with a match, and I watched as the small flame flickered back and forth in the sweet-smelling wind. I was intrigued my the small fire before me. My eyes were stuck on it completely. Fire…was not to be played with. This I knew. My parents always told me not to play with fire. This was a rule. We had many torches lining the walls of the temple, so that it gave off a more relaxed aura. However, I would try to reach out and touch the orange-red flames with my bare hands. My father would pull me away, and tell me,

"Rei, fire is not to be played with. Maybe when you are older, you will light the torches one day."

Being older. Every birthday to me was a dream come true. Every year I got older, and every year I got closer to owning the temple. My anticipation grew as my parents sang a happy birthday song to me. After they finished, I leaned forward carefully, and turned the flame to smoke with my cool breath. There was clapping, as we enjoyed our lunch. I let my teeth sink into large juicy pieces of sweet watermelon, and sipped the sour lemonade (mom forgot to put in sugar). The oringiri was the last thing I tried, as rice was not my most favorite thing in the world, even though it was a lunchtime tradition in our family. I bit into it, and thought it tasted a bit bland, so I switched it out for another piece of the juicy fruit.

"Rei, you are now five years old! You have done so much at such a young age to care for the shrine!"

My father was so proud of me. Mother was as well. Grandfather was just hoping I would not steal his precious temple from him. I smile, and am about to ask him what I can do to help some more so that I can prove myself. However, he frowns.

"She may be a year older, but that gives her no right to take the temple over yet! That goddamn thing is mine!"

"Grandpa, you're silly!"

I laugh, and he sighs in defeat.

"She's a sharp one. Cheery too. Almost too happy to be human."

It was true. As a young girl, I was extremely over-excited about everything in life. I only looked at the positive side of things. It was amazing how I changed from that point of view to how I am today. This of course was all before…"the incident". But I will get into that later. We were packing up the picnic, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, we hear a crash from behind us. I run around the tree to go find out what it was, and where it was coming from. My parents chase after me.

"Rei!"

I gasp, and this scares them. They think I had gotten myself into trouble. It's not hard when you're a short little five-year-old. But I was not gasping for help, instead maybe dying of cuteness?

"Birdies! Look! Look!"

Mom and Dad reach me, and watch as I point with my middle finger, (bad habit I used to have), at two little baby birds lying helplessly on the ground. My father takes my middle finger, and tucks it in, as there were visitors to the shrine staring at me, completely appalled. I had a habit of using my middle finger instead of my pointer finger. Now that I think about it today, it makes me laugh. But that was besides the point. Father comes and picks up the two little baby birds. He shows them to me.

"Ravens. Two of them. Probably sick, so the mother threw them out of the nest."

My mom stroked them softly.

"Are they still alive?"

"Yes, but if we don't act quickly, they may die. Dad!"

Grandfather, at Dad's beckoning call comes around the tree.

"You called for me?"

"Dad, you know anything about ravens?"

"Why of course!"

"Can we save these two?"

He examines them, and strokes his beard, thinking deeply.

"Maybe. We'll need a small basket, lined with a soft material, some bird feed that I usually use to feed the ravens, and a lamp. Got that?"

We all nod, and run inside to the shrine, ready to carry out our operation.

* * *

The two baby ravens snuggle up against each other under the warm lamp, sitting inside of a woven basket we had found. Bird feed was placed next to them. They were too cute to ignore, and we found out that both birds had an illness. The mother raven pushed them out of the nest because of this. But I didn't care if they were sick. I loved them. Father said we could heal them, and release them back into the wild if I wanted to. But I didn't. The ravens…I wanted them to be mine!

"Daddy…can we keep them? Please?"

He smiles.

"As a birthday gift?"

"Yes!"

He thinks about it for a moment, but Mom interrupts.

"Aw, honey, let Rei keep them. They can live outside when they get bigger, but for now she can nurse them to health."

After some negotiating, it was decided I would care for the ravens. A birthday gift is how my father perceived it. But there was only one last thing.

"Mommy…what will we name them?"

"Name them?"

I stare up into her eyes, nodding.

"Umm…"

Mom was always good with names. She chose my name. It meant, "fire star". I did love fire, which could just be coincidence…

"Phobos and Deimos."

"What?"

She repeats.

"Phobos and Deimos the ravens. How does that sound?"

I give a smile wider than any other. I lean over the little woven basket, stroking them softly.

"Phobos...Deimos...I love you."

That was the day I met my first childhood….and possibly life companions…

**To be Continued in chapter two! Sorry it took so long to get this posted!**


	2. Six Years Old: The First Fortune

**Six Years Old…**

"A storm…a great storm to come…a storm of anger and a storm that hungers for destruction…very soon will come…"

I didn't seem to realize that I was talking in my sleep, and nobody else did either. I tossed and turned on my little, comfortable cot set on the floor in a vacant room with high ceilings, and a little lantern to scare away dark shadows. The shrine didn't exactly have bedrooms, but enough vacant little spaces like this one to sleep in. When I was an infant, I would sleep with Mom and Dad, but now that I was older (not much older) I wanted to sleep in my own area. Grandpa got the biggest space, and the smallest one, this room here, was mine. My first nights in that room scared me. I was alone in a world of empty darkness setting in, and swallowing me. But it turned out that I loved it after adjusting to my new surroundings. A lantern was placed as my little angel. My angel of light, that would guide me through the darkness, and into a heaven of sunshine. But that night…that first night of the rainy season, when I was only six years old, the little light angel ceased to guide me. It became lost too. No matter how bright it burned, or how hard it tried, all I saw was a dark storm…a bad omen to approach. I kept dreaming of lightning flashing down from the pitch black skies, and flooded streets, with flustered people trying to escape their very doom. It was awful…but I could feel it. This was no ordinary dream of course, as I had never experienced a nightmare before in my life. This…was a prediction. I could _feel _it. I could practically _see _it. The aura was so strong, and it was there, slapping me in the face, saying:

"Rei! Wake up Rei! You must warn of this awful omen! You must prepare!"

My mind screamed words that I had never even heard before. Words that no ordinary six-year-old could comprehend. No toddler would know what an "omen", or "aura" were. But I did…now. I felt it. It ran up my spine, and flashed vivid images right before my eyes. In that moment, I awoke, gasping for air, sitting straight up, pupils dilated, staring into the slightly illuminated darkness, my breathing heavy. A storm was coming. A great, big thunderstorm that would wipe out most of our city….I was the only one who felt it, knew it, and could see it. See it in the future to come. I saw the future…how…the future...how did I see it? I only knew that dangers were present, and that I had to warn my family, and as many people as I could before the bad omen struck down upon us. I leapt up from my cot, picked up the little lantern, and stared into its flames…that spread apart…and showed me the image of a great storm…my little angel…helped me to see the storm…or had it? I had seen images in the fire…and they were too real to be a joke…

"Mommy! Daddy! Grandpa! Wake up!"

Bounding down the halls, lantern swaying back and forth in my hand, I screamed to my family, heart racing.

"The storm is coming! The great storm will strike! The storm will-"

I crash into something, and fall to the floor with a thud, still clutching the little lantern, which thankfully hadn't broken, and started a fire. I looked up to see the eyes of my grandfather staring down at me.

"Little Rei…"

He extends his hand, and yanks me up off of the floor, patting me on the head, smiling at me with a certain pride.

"So…you feel it too?"

At that moment, I knew that my grandfather had felt it…the storm. He was so wise, and knew so much more than I did. He took the lantern from my hands, and placed it on a small wooden table beside us.

"You shouldn't play with fire little Rei…the shadows may get you…"

* * *

The next morning was a daze, as I woke up from my cot once again, rubbing my forehead. I still felt it…this odd presence. A gloomy weight sitting on my chest. I had to find my parents, and tell them about it. My dream, and the images in the fire. I desperately hoped they would understand. But it would be hard to believe a toddler. Luckily for them, I was no ordinary toddler. My parents were very understanding people. Forgot to talk about them, didn't I? Well, what would you need to know? My mother was probably the kindest, sweetest human being to walk the earth. She was so incredibly empathetic, and gentle. Oh, and did I mention that she liked to sing? She sang her way around the shrine all day long, and boy, did she have the most beautiful voice…I miss it dearly…her songs…the sound of her soft voice. She wasn't just beautiful on the inside either. She had the longest, stick-straight, jet-black hair, that reached almost to her feet. When I was little, I would call her "Rapunzel" like my favorite princess. She had soft brown eyes, and long spider-like eyelashes that uttered words of elegance. Porcelain-white skin, and gentle hands. My father was much of the opposite. He was kind, but sometimes very hasty, (sort of like grandfather). He would complain much about the shrine, and how he could be off making big bucks right now in politics. He went to college for that, but was swept off his feet by the goddess, who carried him away to a cherry-blossom home with her father, who put the good man to work for the rest of his life. But Dad always did say…"it's a small price to pay, to be with such a beautiful woman both in appearance, and in soul". That's what I liked about him…his commitment to his family…too bad it didn't last…but anyway, there I was, flying down the hallway of the shrine to my parent's room. I jump on top of my father, and shake him awake, screaming in his ear:

"It's coming! It's coming! The great storm of destruction!"

Hearing this come out of my mouth, he sits up, and stares at me in his lap, jumping up and down like I had been hyped up with caffeine. Still sleepy, he desperately tries to open his eyes, and pay attention, still in shock at my odd choice of words."

"Excuse me, sweetheart, _what did you just say_?"

"The great storm of darkness and destruction is coming! It nears on the fifth night of the rainy season, showering hate down upon us!"

His jaw drops to his knees, staring at me like I had killed someone. I have to admit, no normal kid could say things like that. None of those words were in a toddler's vocabulary. Seeing that he was in a daze, and jump on top of my mother, who was already awake, screaming to her.

"Mommy! The great storm of destruction is nearing very soon! Four days and three hours until it strikes upon our humble city! We must quickly evacuate!"

"Rei…_what did you just say_?"

I sigh, and run to find my grandfather. He must have known! He told me so last night! I run outside to find him sweeping up a pile of cherry-blossom petals. I say hello to my companions, Phobos and Deimos, who were sitting upon a short branch. They were growing now, and had a full coat of feathers, instead of being little bald things like they were before. They never left the shrine (simply because they could not fly yet). But I quickly leave them, and tug on my grandfather, desperately crying to him.

"Grandpa! Quickly! We have to evacuate! The great storm is coming! I dreamt about it! I saw its awful form in the fire last night! We must quickly leave, and warn others! We have to!"

He puts down his broom, and takes me by the hand into my parent's bedroom once again, keeping me close to his side. He opens their door.

"Wake up! The both of you! Have you not known of a miracle that has come upon us?"

My father groans, and sits up again, along with my mother who was a bit more mature about the whole situation.

"Dad, what about a miracle?"

She stares at me, as my eyes fill with tears. I lean against my grandfather, shivering in his embrace. The omen was so strong, that it was affecting me in a way. I felt as if it was already upon us. My grandfather puts both hands on my shoulders.

"We have been sent a gift! An angel! Your daughter is very special. She carries powers greater than mine. Do you not hear her plea? She is gifted with the power of the future. She can predict these sorts of things. She is _extremely_ special. No other can know than her. Listen to her call! A great storm is coming! We must evacuate immediately! We have a mere four days. Begin to pack. We will leave Tokyo soon. Warn others of this awful omen. Spread the word."

My father scratches his head.

"But the weather channel said that we would have straight sunshine…"

My grandfather raises an eyebrow.

"The people on the weather channel…are morons."

* * *

We began packing that very morning. All of our belongings were being stuffed into boxes, and my parents seemed to look at me differently. Not in a way that made me feel odd, but in a way that I was very unique. My father knew well enough that in this family, anything was possible. My mother on the other hand, truly believed in me. The sky outside was bright blue, but I still didn't trust it. I felt the omen, and I would not let the foolish sky pull a fast one on me. I would not let it fool us, and trick us into staying here, just to meet our doom. Grandfather put Phobos and Deimos into a wooden cage, and began stocking up on food items. We would have a short trip out of the city, but by the way I felt, I knew it would be for a while. Constantly, we tried to warn civilians of the storm, but they laughed in our faces, and told us we were insane. That there was plenty of sunshine to go around, and that we should check the weather channel…

"Grandpa, why don't the people believe us?"

He sighs.

"Unfortunately, those people are not special like you, Rei. They cannot feel it. Their eyes constantly deceive them, and blind them from true reality. They can only sense what they can see. Their eyes control their every moment. They rely on people projected onto screens to tell them the plain truth, which is really a lie. They only believe what they can see, and that is all. They have no idea…that their senses are dead to them."

At that moment, I knew that I was no ordinary girl, no ordinary kid who was feeling this. My eyes do not trick me. My senses tell me the truth…and my soul is completely open in body, and in mind…

* * *

There I was strapped into my car seat. We sped out of that city faster than ever, not caring where we were to go from here. Knowing that this storm was going to destroy many buildings, grandfather boarded up the shrine, and set up shudders to prevent damage. I listened to the chirp of Phobos and Deimos, as the sang along to mother's song…

_"Somewhere...over the rainbow…skies are blue…"_

She was right. Somewhere…somewhere on this earth right now, the skies were blue, and it didn't matter about what was upon us…as long as somebody else was enjoying the beautiful sunshine.

* * *

We came back to Tokyo a week later…and it was all over the news. A great storm had struck the city. No…a hurricane bigger than any other had struck. Disaster spread like a wildfire. People were in desperate need for food, power lines were destroyed, many had lost their houses, as they had blown away, streets were flooded, and building collapsed, causing a great loss of life. I felt relief off of my chest knowing that our shrine was safe, because of all the prep we did, and that the bad omen had passed. I was right too. Our shrine was in perfect condition, except for the cherry-blossom trees, which had lost all of their petals, and some had been uprooted by the violent winds. But my family, and my home were safe…and that's all that ever mattered…and the people who hadn't listened to us, and laughed in our faces…desperately wished they had. Thus, this marked the day that I discovered I had special powers…to predict….and to sense…the near future…

**Chapter Three to be posted soon! Sorry that I haven't posted anything literally in two months! My computer was having some issues with my word-processing program. But it is up and running again, and I will continue with this series! Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for the next installment!**


	3. Seven Years Old: Anger and Resentment

**Seven Years Old…**

I could hear it…even in my sleep…the hatred…the jealousy…the pain and suffering. It was all there, present and real, yet I tried hard as I could not to wake up, in fear of being hunted down. This deep fear…of being pinned to the ground, and interrogated…taking a freefall from heaven…killed me on the inside. My entire life, I had lived inside of a bubble; a protective little space of my own, where nothing was real but happiness, and the joys of smelling the fresh cherry-blossoms on a bright summer morning, breathing in the fresh air, and singing with my mother at a picnic in the afternoon. Nothing ever existed except for that…until that year, where the hatred grew, and my protective little bubble burst and shattered into a million tiny pieces, too small to pick up and put back together. That bubble was life before reality. I think that every little kid one day just wakes up to their bubble being shattered, realizing that the world isn't all just sunshine and rainbows. They come to the realization that the world is really full of war, suffering, pain, killing, dying, and uttered words of hatred that leave our lips, and pierce into the hearts of others, causing tears, and sadness. The world is…the world. We caused the hatred that encircles it today, and little kids…their parents try hard as they can for as long as they can to keep that bubble together, but unfortunately, we overhear things, and our bubbles no longer exist. Me? I overheard their words…and thus my bubble shattered that very night. They slammed their fists against the front doors to our sacred shrine, and screamed hate into our minds.

"Old man! Open up the door! We want to know!"

"Where's the kid, damn it!"

"We want to know your secret! What's with you people and your possessed child! Your shrine! How did you know about this storm before us! We all suffer and you don't even bother to help?!"

"Open the doors!"

These angry people…used to be patrons to our shrine. But after the storm…they blamed us….they think that just because we were the only ones not affected by the storm, that we had caused it. That our "weird beliefs" brought about the hurricane that destroyed much of the city. That was so long ago…but ever since then…every single night since then…they pounded on our front doors at night, and would yell to us. They would curse us, and I…was the source of their anger…they thought that I cursed the city. They thought that I was possessed. But none of that was true. They were all awful, horrible lies that kept me up at night. My grandfather would stand at the door, worn, and try to get them to go away.

"Please! Leave now! We had nothing to do with that awful storm! We tried to warn many of you, but you ignored us, and laughed at us! Have you not heard that what goes around, may come back at you again?"

"What the hell kind of a phrase is that?! Open up old man! Let us at her! That little demon girl!"

Grandfather frowns deeply behind the closed doors.

"You leave poor, innocent little Rei out of this! She had nothing to do with that storm! She only knew that it was coming, and out of the good of her heart, tried to warn you people! She is a gifted child, and how dare you insult her with such names! Leave at once!"

They refused to leave, and stayed there all night, dispersing in the morning. But even then, I was given dirty looks when I would play outside with Phobos and Deimos, and complaints were being filed to the city about us constantly. It gave my father such a headache. He would plea to the city council that we had nothing to do with the storm, over and over again. Even my mother fell victim to their cruelty. They called her, "the demon-girl's mother", and would mock her. They would act cruel to her, and every time she went out in public, shops would close their doors to her, and shun her from society. Grandfather simply could not handle it anymore, and was starting to go a little insane (not as bad as he is today, but I believe this was the beginning of the downward spiral). He would sit in his room, staring into a fire, praying all day long. Threats were constantly filed against us. I became very hostile from time to time, bursting into anger out of nowhere, swinging moods like nobody's business, even at only seven years old. It was obvious…that their hate was rubbing off on me. I was becoming another statistic. I refused to become one of them! To fall to their feet! I refused to sink to their level! Thus all day, every day from then on, I would lock myself up in my little room, and light a large fire, sitting upon my cot, meditating. Even though the meditation did nothing to calm me. But it was the fire…the fire…calmed me. Flames…always interested me. I would always try to touch the fire…and play with it. Flames…were my friends. It was odd, but they were. I loved them very much. The orangey-red bursts of sparks that arose from a little block of wood, illuminating the room with a warm glow. I loved it…fire…and I never seemed to know why. I desperately needed the fire. I was on edge very much of the time now. I would break down into tears out of nowhere, and scream in people's faces if they dared to mock me. What was happening to me? What happened to my optimistic, wonderful smile, and happy point of view? The hatred…blew it all away. It was all gone. Every once in a while, I would see images in the fire…and tell my mother about it. I remember that one day, near the end of December, I saw a very troubling image. Flames within flames, a crashing building, smoke arising. I could feel it choking me, and scrambled out of my room, fleeing down the hall, gasping for air, tears consuming me, flying from my cheeks.

"Mom! Mom!"

I see her in the hallway, and throw myself into her arms. She immediately takes me in, and sits down on the floor, hugging me tight, smoothing her fingers through my delicate hair…and tears fall from her eyes too. When I was hurt, so was she. It was as if we were connected. She whispers in my ear, assuring me that we will be okay, and that she'll protect me.

"Rei…don't cry…I'm here for you…please don't cry…I will cry too…"

"I-I saw it…flames! Smoke! A burning building! I can feel it! I can feel the bad omen! Please! Listen to me!"

"Rei, sweetie…these angry people are just affecting you…it's okay…please don't cry. Nothing is going to happen to us. I'm right here…and I will always be here with you. Never will I leave your side. _Ever."_

"But…"

"Shh…don't cry…don't cry anymore…"

She hugs me tighter, and tries to comfort me more, but I don't think she understood that what I saw was the future, and the future was awful…and that somebody…would get hurt…

_"Somewhere…over the rainbow…skies are blue…"_

Wherever the rainbow was, Mom was sure that it existed, and that things would eventually turn up. But she wasn't the one who could predict the bad omen…and it told me…that rainbows don't exist….not now at least…

_"Somewhere over the rainbow….skies are blue…somewhere…"_

Her beautiful voice sang to me…for the rest of the day…and night…

**Chapter Four to come very soon! Stay tuned, and please leave a review if you would like! Can't wait to hear your opinions!**


	4. Eight Years Old: The Great Fire

**Eight Years Old...**

Now I truly knew what my grandfather meant a year ago, when he told me on that one night not to play with fire, or the "shadows may get me". It was his way of warning me, that if I kept looking into the fire, hoping to see the near future, I would see not only good things, but evil things. Those evil things would make me feel scared, and alone, capturing me, and yanking me out of my little bubble. Grandfather was only trying to protect me, and preserve my childhood. But I was too curious, and now my childhood was over. It was my eighth birthday, April seventeenth to be exact. The morning was serene, and the cherry-blossoms were in full bloom. At this point in my life, I was still being homeschooled. My parent thought that will all of the anger and resentment of the people of Tokyo against us and such, that I should stay at the Shrine and learn, in order to avoid confrontation, or any more trouble. Like I had said, it was my birthday, and my parents were preparing a lunch for the afternoon, so we could do our little traditional picnic like we always did. My grandfather was hard at work sweeping petals off of the stone pathway to the temple, grumbling to himself as he did. I remember my father waking me up, and picking me up into his arms, struggling.

"You're getting too big Rei! Too big for me to even pick you up anymore!"

I laugh, as my father stares into my eyes, looking calm.

"You know, you look just like your mother. All the boys will fight over you someday, Rei."

It was true, I was definitely an eye-catch. Even at the age of eight, I had begun to grow and develop beautiful features resembling that of my mother. I had long eyelashes, perfect pursed lips tinted in light pink, long black hair reaching to my knees, and my figure was perfectly slender. I was a mini model. My father puts me back down, and sees a certain sadness still in my eyes. Ever since a year ago, even that long in the past, when I had that vision of fire, it had bothered me. I had dreams about it, and felt an impending doom, but lately, the vibes were so strong that I could barely wake up in the morning without feeling overwhelmed by bad omens. A gift I was given…the gift of the future, that truly, was a curse. All I ever felt was depressed from awful visions, and not even the comfort of my family could help me. I run off into the kitchen to see my mother, closing up the big woven picnic basket, folding a blanket beside it. She looks over her shoulder to see me, and the big frown plastered across my face. She puts her hands on her hips.

"What's this? An unhappy birthday girl?"

"Mom…I…the visions…"

She understood why they were troubling me. It was a lot of pressure to put on a kid. Being able to see impending doom all the time was no honor or pleasure. She pats me on the head, assuring me that nothing was going to happen. I was only stressed, and having bad dreams. That's what she told me, hoping I'd buy it. She knew. She could feel it too. Just the tiniest bit of tension, but not like I could. She could only slightly feel it. I could _see _it, and it wracked through my body, appearing as pictures in fire. But my mother put a smile on, and led me outside to meet my grandfather, where we would have our family picnic, under the huge cherry-blossom tree.

* * *

We had our normal birthday festivities, eating our lunch, and I blew out the candles on my birthday cake. Phobos and Deimos perched on both of my shoulders, biting at my ears. They were probably hungry too. I feed them some seeds from my hand. Both of them had gotten so big. They were normal sized now, and easily could blend in with the other ravens that swarmed the shrine. However, I could tell them apart. Their aura was vibrant, more so than the other birds. I had a special call for them, whistling, and they would come to my call. Anyway, after my birthday, we headed inside when the darkness of night was beginning to take over. It was around seven. I was exhausted, with strange vibes still wracking me with emotion. I lay down on my cot, by the fire, hoping it would calm me. Fire strangely did calm me. Even though the fire images is what had started these bad premonitions that were bothering me. It was odd, how the angry people of Tokyo, who cursed us, and hated me, the apparent "demon child", had strangely backed off a week ago. My parents just assumed they had given up, realizing that their rants were pointless. We endured so much from them, and my grandfather had finally been able to get some well-deserved sleep, instead of warding off angry mobs of people. It _was _pretty ridiculous after all. I began drifting off to sleep, but as soon as I closed my eyes, I saw bright red images flash before my eyes. I sit straight up, gasping.

"It has to be a nightmare...relax…"

I begin to drift off once again, but like last time, images flash before me, covered in red, angry flames. I sit straight up again, my heart beginning to race. I could not sleep, no matter what I did. I tried to persuade myself that it was nothing, but ignoring it was no use.

"Just go…to sleep…mom said it was only…"

My vision begins to blur, and I feel myself falling back asleep for the last time. I collapse onto my cot, mouth wide open. For a while, I dreamt of nothing. All I saw was black. A black darkness from my eyelids concealing my vision. Although, my mother used to tell me, it's not that we don't dream, but that we forget our dreams too quickly to recall them. It was a good point. Our minds can be very mysterious things. But after about an hour or two of empty dreaming, I began seeing it again. Red images flashing before my eyes, angry roaring flames, and…smoke. I saw myself amidst a red room, banging on walls and windows, hearing the shouts of people screaming to me:

"Die demon child!"

"Leave us in peace! Leave us this instant!"

"You shall perish like we had during the storm!"

The dream got more vivid as I saw smoke consuming my body. I began choking, and coughing harshly, no cool air able to escape into my lungs. In fact, it seemed to real, that I myself in real life felt smothered, and started to cough. I woke up with a start, tears running down my face in a great deluge, choking harshly. And then…I saw it. I noticed how I was still unable to breathe, and opened my eyes, to see smoke consuming my room. I jumped to my feet, seeing black clouds everywhere. Feeling lightheaded from the lack of oxygen, I collapse to the floor, and stare up at the ceiling. Was I still dreaming…or was this really real? Little did I know that it was. All of this was real. I heard a roaring outside of my bedroom door, and opened it without hesitation, to see the entire hallway, consumed in flames. They burned in my eyes, and I realized that this was no dream. I tie up my hair with a band I had on my wrist, as my body is covered in soot. I desperately run back into my room, slamming the door, shutting myself back into the chamber of smoke. Tears begin forming in my eyes, and I have no way out. None of the rooms in the shrine had windows. The whole place was made of wood and stone, the fire would eat up everything in sight! I had no choice, it seemed. I burst back into the hallway, and roll to the floor, my skin being eaten by flames. It hurt so badly, I could barely even feel it. After a while, the burnt flesh became numb, and I felt nothing at all. I knew that this was bad, and that my body was in danger, but continue to roll my way to the end of the hall, near my parent's room.

"REI!"

My mother screams at the top of her lungs, and runs towards me, amidst the thick black smoke, that made it hard to see. She grabs me in her arms, and sinks to the floor, crying into my shoulder.

"REI!"

She must have thought I had perished back in my room. But now that she knew I was alright, we could get through this together.

"I'm….so…glad! You're…alive!"

My mother too had awful burns, and one spot on her leg had been eaten at so badly, you could see the bone underneath. Her hair was singed and a complete mess, as was mine. She stands up again, helping me up off of the floor, and desperately looks around for some sort of exit.

"You're father-"

She coughs, clutching her chest with her right hand.

"-is okay…and-"

She coughs again, becoming weak in the knees, and unable to breathe much. I could see the pain in her eyes. The fire had started in my parent's bedroom first. They were probably much worse off than I was. My mother moves her hand to her forehead, and uses her elbow to balance on me.

"-and grandpa is…okay…they called-"

She coughs so harsh, I swear she's going to have a heart attack. But even amidst flames, she continues to speak with confidence.

"-the fire department…we have to get out of here…"

She takes deep, shuddering breaths, and is beginning to quickly lose her voice. It become raspy and hard to understand. We hear a loud crash from behind us, and turn around and like deer caught in headlights, watch as the roof begins to cave in and collapse. My mother in a panic, picks me up, and carries me in her arms, beginning to sprint down the length of the hall as fast as she can, choking, trying to breathe, and let air into her lungs. The pain in her chest increased, as she clutched it with her left arm, still managing to carry me. We were covered in black soot, as we reached the end of the hall…she turns around, to see the roof continuing to collapse its way down to us.

"The…main…exit-"

She shakes violently, coughing and coughing. She runs again in the other direction, heading towards the main entrance of the shrine. We're right there at the door, when a large, wooden beam crashes down on my mother, causing us to crash into the floor. I hear her scream in pain, as the board smashes into her back. I tumble next to her, dazed for a moment, until I realize that the exit is right there. The heavy beam however, had other plans. My mother had no way of moving, as her back was horribly injured. I grab her hand, and look up to see the last bits of the roof giving out.

"Rei…just…go….without me…"

What? She actually wanted me to leave her here? How could she let me do that? I would never! I shake my head violently, showing her that I wasn't leaving without her. I get up to my feet in a struggle, and begin to try pushing the board off of her, but it was no use. With all the strength she has left, she reaches up and touches my hand, pulling it away, looking into my eyes, smiling as wide as she can, tears running down her cheeks.

"It's okay…go…because Rei….as long as you are safe….I am happy…"

I begin to cry, and fall to the floor next to her.

"NO! NO! I won't leave you here Mom!"

"Rei…honey…"

She tries to put her arm around my shoulder, but the pain is too unbearable. Instead, she gently touches my hand with those oh-so elegant, slender, fingers of hers, whispering in my ear, in a raspy voice,

_"Somewhere…..over…..the….rainbow…..skies-"_

A giant crash as the roof begins falling on us.

"REI! GO!"

She shoves me into the door, and I fall through it, as the roof collapses on her. I fall outside, smacking my head on the concrete, seeing nothing but black…

**Thanks for reading! I will have the next chapter up soon!**


	5. Eight-Nine Years Old: The Loss and After

**Eight to Nine Years Old...**

I wake up in a great daze, feeling a cool breeze on my skin, and a weird tingling feeling in my right arm. My vision is a bit blurry, and I feel dizzy as I stare up at a bright light shining in my eyes.

"Rei…"

I hear a voice that I recognized, but was too out of it to respond. I could only moan through my teeth. I feel a warm, shaky hand placed on my forehead. I wake up immediately to its comfort, and see the eyes of my grandfather staring down at me.

"Little Rei…you always wanted to touch the fire…but now you know the reality of it is that the fire will eventually touch you, and surely you will regret playing with its flames."

I couldn't comprehend his riddles at the moment, but instead groan back to him.

"Grandpa…?"

"Who else?"

He sits down next to me.

"Grandpa…where am I…?"

"The hospital. You were out for a long while. It's morning now. You suffered from some third-degree burns, and a concussion. You're lucky. You could have been much worse off."

"How…?"

He looks away, and avoids the question. I was gaining consciousness quickly now.

"You saw it all this time…and yet none of us were prepared. You saw the fire, didn't you Rei? You knew it was coming."

I sigh.

"For some reason…I couldn't tell _when_ it was coming exactly, but I knew it was there…"

He nods, and gets up, drawing back the curtains of my hospital window, letting sunlight pour into the room, giving it a more hopeful feel.

"Your father is all right. We made it out before you did. The fire was the cause of those hooligans that blamed us for the storm. They wanted to kill you, Rei. They set the shrine on fire in jealously."

"Figures…"

A sadness came over me. Would we ever get the shrine back? But my question was answered as soon as I had thought of it.

"The city promises to rebuild for us. They will make it of pure stone and marble to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. All of the trees will be replanted as well. Oh, did I mention that Phobos and Deimos are all right?"

This cheers me up quite a bit. Of course they were okay. They were birds after all, they could just fly from the fire when it began. But then I noticed, my grandfather had mentioned everyone…except for my mother. I felt tears burn in the back of my eyes.

"She's dead…isn't she grandpa?"

He turns around, and wipes the tears from underneath my eyes with the swipe of one finger.

"No."

I'm simply taken back by this. How on earth could she have survived? The roof collapsed on her! But my grandfather assured me.

"She is alive. Your father is with her right now…however…things are not looking good. When the fire department was searching through the rubble, they found her barely alive under boards from the roof. Currently, she is in the room next to you."

My spirits lift, only to be dropped again.

"How is she?"

"Not good, as I had said. She's in a coma, with a broken back, and it doesn't seem like she'll be waking up any time soon. Plus, we have just gotten word that she has developed a severe lung disease from all of the smoke and toxins she had inhaled during the fire. It's a very slight chance she'll live after this week, or that the doctors will keep her alive. She's on life support…Rei."

I can see him begin to cry, and he leaves the room for a brief moment, wiping the tears out of his eyes, trying to conceal his sadness. He was trying to be strong for me, but it was no use. Death had my mother by the throat. I try to get up out of the hospital bed, only to notice that I am hooked up to some machine, pumping a clear liquid through my arm. A bit grossed out by this, I lie back down, and try to be hopeful, but tears keep burning in the back of my eyes, and eventually are let loose in a large deluge consuming me. I shudder and wail like there's no tomorrow, covering my eyes with my hands, continuously crying. I hear my grandfather come back in, but this time, a new voice is with him.

"Rei…honey…please don't cry anymore…your mother is in here. How about we unhook you from that awful thing, and you can go see her?"

My father…he unhooked me, and carried me into her room…

* * *

What could I say? Here I was, my mother dying, and all I could do was hold her hand, and say a sappy "I love you". It wasn't like she could hear me or anything. But my grandfather told me that the thought is what counts. But who cares about a stupid thought? Damn it! Here I am, about to lose the person I'm closest to, and all I can do is give a shitty "I love you" and some stupid thoughts? What the hell was wrong with me? Why didn't I hug her, or talk with her? Why? I felt like the worst person in the world! I had nothing to say to my poor mother! The tears came like a waterfall, and all I could do was cry at her side. My poor, poor mother was dying…and I would lose her sooner than expected…

* * *

She died at eleven-forty-two p.m. in peace. Her lungs collapsed, and there was no hope for her to live after that. Doctors had come in, and told us to go into the waiting room, and things would be arranged. My father practically had to drag me out of that hospital room. I screamed, and wailed, and slammed my fists into the floor like a maniac, tears consuming my entire body. Why her? I had no grip on reality, or on my emotions for that matter, and everything just felt like it was falling apart. My father and grandfather held me tight in the waiting room, stroking the back of my head gently, telling me that it would be all right, and that once the shrine was built again, we would live happily together. But what was together without my mother? She made us a family! Sure, I had my father, my grandfather, Phobos, and Deimos, but without my mother, it was all hopeless. My mother's funeral was a few days later, amidst the empty lot that used to be the shrine. We held it there, and lit candles, that I could no longer look at. The flames made me feel angry. They kept reminding me of the fire. I blew them all out, and instead, had another plan. No, my mother was not buried at the shrine lot, however, a new cherry-blossom tree, just a little one, was planted where the huge one used to stand. The one where our picnics took place, and under that tiny tree, we placed pictures, and said prayers, and said painful goodbyes. It hurt so bad…to let go…to say goodbye…but I had to. She was buried at a cemetery, where another little cherry-blossom tree was planted, so that we would know, and that everyone else that saw it would know, and so that every damn person that set the fire would know, that this grave was hers, and that she was proof of the pain caused by the horrible actions of others.

* * *

It was a long struggle. It was a year later, and the shrine was finally finished. I was nine years old now. It was so glorious…the new shrine. Immaculate white stone was its structure, and beautiful pink cherry-blossom trees now flourished. The ravens returned, and we moved back in. The tree that was planted in remembrance of my mother was right outside of my bedroom window. Yes, I had a window now. The fire department said that it was in our best interest in case of an emergency. I had cried for months after my mother had passed, but eventually told myself that she was with me in spirit. She would live on in my heart. My grandfather told me that. He said that she would always be with me, as long as I kept her in my heart, and didn't forget her. I still don't forget her. I remember her face so clearly. I guess it's just because I was so incredibly close. But my relationship with my father was about to change drastically, as within the next year or two, his mind would begin to change lifestyle-wise…

**The Next Chapter is on its way! Stay Tuned and Leave your reviews!**


	6. Ten Years Old: Hard Times

**Ten Years Old…(hard times)**

"Dad, can I please go to a regular school like all the other kids?"

"No. I'm sorry, Rei. That's not an option right now. We don't have it in the funds. Your grandfather and I are short on money lately, and we need every bit we can get."

It was the same answer every time I asked. I was ten years old, almost through grade-school, and I had never been to an actual classroom with actual other kids. Ever since my mother's death, I felt a need to get out of the shrine, and go somewhere. I never knew where I needed to go, but I just needed some space. We fell on hard times after the fire and all. Most of our valuables were destroyed, and we spent nearly everything rebuilding the shrine, which the city ended up not paying for, and on top of that, the hospital bills were horrendous. We had less and less patrons every month, and the same five or six people that showed up regularly were all we had left. I desperately wanted to go to school. After all, without a formal education, I meant absolutely nothing to society. I was like the invisible child. Nobody knew me in Tokyo. Only some patrons to our shrine, you know, the ones we had left. I felt so stupid, and below the other kids. I begged, and prayed all the time, but my father just wouldn't budge. In fact, he was like that for just about everything lately. He became increasingly stubborn as the months went on. I think he just felt lonely, and lost without Mom. She meant everything to him. Without her around, he was just an empty shell. He was flat, and emotionless. He never seemed to smile anymore. Instead, he stuck his nose in a book about politics, and rambled on about political issues. After all, he had a masters degree in the subject. But grandfather became worried that he would fall back into the hands of politics again, and leave us for big bucks, and big city life. I told him that would never happen, but yet again, anything was possible. We were in desperate need for money, and my father wanted us making more income. So maybe he would do it for the good of the family? I was unsure. After all, politics was not my subject of interest. I was too young, even at ten, to understand that kind of world. All I understood, was that we were broke.

* * *

Phobos and Deimos flew onto my shoulders, as I swept the outside porch area, and the front steps to the shrine. I was old enough to be on cherry-blossom-petal clean up duty now. Grandfather was getting pretty old, and with that, his tolerance, and sanity were thrown out the window. I ended up starting to take care of him. His wise words, and lessons all seemed to be fading away, as he began to talk about women, and joke around about silly things that didn't make sense. My dad said that grandfather was losing it. I thought so too. Maybe losing his daughter was too much for him, and now all that was left of him was a sad, empty form of his former self…just like my father. Up until this day, I still can't believe that she died the way she did. What a horrible, _awful_ way to die. In the hands of your oppressors, and the evil eye of your enemy, the fire. Your back being broken by a ceiling beam, smoke consuming your lungs, and fire burning your flesh. It was too awful to even think about anymore. I was so mad that she saved me. I was so mad that I couldn't have died instead. I was so mad at those horrible people who screwed everything up in the first place. I still could not bring myself to forgive them. It wasn't like I would go up to them, and say, "I forgive you", sappily and happily like that. But I would forgive them in my heart and soul, yet I could not even do that. They annoyed me so much, that I almost wanted to set _their_ houses on fire. I would light their houses aflame, and watch them burn and die like my family had. But that thought was so evil and unlike me, that it made me feel bad. At this point in my life, my optimism was running quite dry. I had nothing to be happy, or positive about. I couldn't go to a normal school, and make friends, so that was off the table. I couldn't do anything important or help the community in some way at ten, so that was off the table. I was stuck inside of a shrine all day long praying and sweeping up pink petals, and my mother was gone from my life forever. Yeah, pretty depressing stuff, I know what you're thinking. But that was the harsh reality of it all. I had nothing good to live for at that point in time, and I still don't really have much today, which I'll get to later. The whole point was, my family had fallen on extremely hard times, and there was no way to make sense of it all, or to be optimistic about it in any way. All the good times had been thrown out the window, and completely forgotten. Anyway, I remember one night, I sat down next to my father, and tried to snuggle with him like I used to when I was a bit younger. But instead of embracing me, he pushed me off of him, and scooted over on the little wooden bench placed in front of yet another fire place. We had no formal furniture. Cots and wooden benches was pretty much it. He grumbled about that too, my father. But the point here, was that he seemed like he was filled with tension. I tried to hug him, but he turns on me, and shoves me down.

"Rei! Please! It is very hard to concentrate with you lying on me! Go pray to the gods or whatever you do."

I raise a questioning eyebrow. He shoos me away with his hand.

"Go on! Politics are not for children!"

Now I get it. He was reading politics…_again_. But it made no sense. All of a sudden he was interested in things like that. He shoved me off the wooden bench, and out of his life with the flick of a wrist, and took politics into his heart where I used to be. I get up off of the floor.

"I'll go look into the fire…"

I had a strange premonition coming to me, and I had to know what it was. Ever since the incident with the shrine set on fire, I could only trust my visions to tell me what was going to happen next. They always told the truth, so that I could be prepared. I walk away, and watch as my father still has his nose stuck in a magazine. I sigh. Was it true? Would he turn away from us…grandfather and I? Or was he just going through a phase?

* * *

At ten o' clock in the evening, I saw another troubling premonition. In fact, it was the last one I would ever have up until where I am now in the present. After this premonition, they stopped coming. All of the visions disappeared for two years after that. But this was besides the point. I looked into my fire, and saw it form into the shape of a man. My father, I guessed. It looked much like him. But then the fire formed a woman next to the man. My…mother? But she was gone…which was exactly the point. The woman suddenly blew away into nothingness, and the man dropped to his knees. Then the fire showed the man picking up a suitcase, and walking into the distance…not returning…leaving behind a little girl, and an elder man standing in front of a large temple….

**Chapter Seven is coming soon! Leave your reviews when you have the time!**


	7. Eleven Years Old: Politics and Pain

**Eleven Years Old…(politics and pain)**

I heard rummaging about the temple at the break of dawn. I assumed it was my grandfather, who had a habit of wandering around lately. I close my eyes again, and try to go back to sleep. Sleeping in…I did that often now. It made me feel more rested, relaxed, and stress-free. Probably because I was nearing my teen years. I had become more lax as time went on. After all, middle school was one short year away, and I knew I would just be stuck here again, in the temple, speaking to fire, and sweeping pink petals like always. So here I am, falling back asleep, when I hear some more rummaging, louder this time. I sit up, and try to hear where it might be coming from, as I had become more curious, and sure enough…

"Ouch! Damn it!"

There is a loud bang, as my father yells in pain. I burst out of my bedroom, and run down the hall towards his room, which used to be his _and_ mom's room. It was sad that he had it all to himself now, but that was how it had to be. I keep on running, and it reminds me of the day of the fire, where my mother kept running with me in her arms, desperate for an escape._ I_ was desperate to _hunt down _an escape.

"Dad! Stop! Don't leave!"

I hear his footsteps become more urgent, as he picks up the pace. He was not going to get away from me. Not this time. Not ever.

"STOP!"

I throw myself onto his back, and tackle him to the ground. He just stays there, not saying anything. I guess he had given up? He was wearing a fancy suit, tie, and dress shoes, holding an abundance of luggage in his hands. The fire…the premonition…was right. He was trying to escape from us! He suddenly gets up, causing me to tumble backwards onto the ground. He brushes off his dress pants, and frowns down at me.

"Darn it Rei! What the hell was that for?"

I look up at him, feeling guilty. I feel the tears burning in the back of my eyes.

"I was just…well I thought…leaving…"

"I _am_ leaving. What did you need to tackle me for?"

So he was escaping us? He seemed angry. What? Was he just going to leave, and not tell us? I couldn't stand to even look at him. What happened to my father? I already knew the answer to that. When he had married my mother years ago, and fell in love with her beauty, he didn't expect her to come from some weird family that practiced exorcism rights, and could sense premonitions. He ended up, instead of in politics, in a shrine, doing chores for a wise old man that was her father (who isn't so wise anymore). He always did grumble about this life, and once my mother had left, he saw it as an opportunity to make his grand escape. But I refused to let that happen! I grab his arm, and try to yank him in the opposite direction.

"No Dad! You won't get away from us anymore! You won't leave us here, starving, and poor so you can go into politics! I refuse to let it happen!"

"Would you stop please! I need to go Rei!"

"NO!"

I stare him in the eyes, and he suddenly stops resisting. He takes in my every feature, analyzing me.

"You look…too much like your mother…go!"

He shoves me away, and runs out the front entrance.

"Wait! I need to know! I need to know why! Why are you going? What's going to happen to grandfather and me when you're gone? Huh? What are we supposed to do Where are you headed off to, running away like a little girl!"

He turns around once he reaches the bottom of the front steps, and I run to him, grabbing his right hand, tears running down my cheeks.

"Tell me…"

He sighs.

"I am leaving Tokyo, Rei. I can't stand it here anymore. Being connected to this shrine has made people hate me, hate us. Without your mother, there is no reason to live a life like this anymore. I can go and succeed in politics like I had always dreamed. I don't have to be held back anymore! Your grandfather already knows I am leaving."

"He's half sane!"

"But I have to go! He knows, and you'll be fine!"

He puts on a brown hat, shivering in the cool fall morning weather. He was actually going to leave a pre-teen in charge of an old man and a temple. How cruel could it get. He stares at me for a moment, and then turns away.

"I'll be late for my taxi to the airport."

He starts to walk off.

"I'll send you a check in two weeks…"

A check? As in money? Where would he get that from? He hasn't even gotten a job yet, and he expects to be rich in weeks? Tears pouring down my face, I scream to him, as much as loud as my lungs will allow me.

"I LOVE YOU!"

He continues to walk, with no response.

"YOU HEAR ME? I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU DAD! DON'T YOU FORGET THAT!"

He simply dismisses me with the wave of a hand, and climbs into a taxi, driving away into the distance. I collapse onto the front steps of the shrine, crying into my hands, shivering in the cold.

"You really…left us…HOW COULD YOU?!"

I sat there for the majority of the morning, and afternoon. I was practically an orphan, with nothing else to lose…

**The last two chapters will be coming soon! So stay tuned!**


	8. Twelve Years Old: The Beauty Queen

**Twelve Years Old…**

I make my grandfather some breakfast, and run outside to check for the mail. It usually would come around nine to ten in the morning. I pull my hair back into a long ponytail, looking up into the sunlight coming down on me from above. My father never did send that check he was talking about. I had thought about that every day since he left. I was fending for myself, and for my last family member, who was pretty insane. He required medication, and much caretaking. I figured at this point in my life that I would never get a formal education like a normal teenage girl. I gave up on that. All that mattered now was getting through every day of my life with food on the table, and a roof over my head. I stand at the front gates to the shrine, waiting for the mail to be delivered, tapping my feet on the hard pavement. I see the mailman in the distance, running up to me. He comes to the front gates, and hands me a stack of envelopes. Most likely, all of them were bills. We were late on those. Water, Electric, and Air bills needed to be paid, along with mortgage on the huge new shrine, which would take my entire life, and possibly even more to complete. I leaf through the letters, as the mailman walks to the next house. Bills, bills, and more bills as I read, and walk back to the temple. Until, that is, I come across a strange blue envelope, with my father's signature on it. At first, I think I'm imagining things. He hadn't talked to me in a year. But then I look again, and surely, it truly was his signature plastered on the bottom of that blue piece of glory. I start running back to the temple, ripping open the envelope as I go. I was so anxious to see what was inside, that I wasn't looking where I was going. I smash right into my grandfather, who is standing there in his pajamas, outside…in public. He laughs, and I roll my eyes, walking around him.

"Grandpa, get back inside! You're going to embarrass yourself! Did you take your medication?"

He laughs again, ignoring what I had just said. I take him by the hand as if he were a child who needed constant attention, and drag him inside, shutting the door behind us. I throw the bills, and the precious blue envelope on the table, as I reach up in one of the kitchen counters to grab a little orange prescription bottle, filled with pills. I pour one out into my grandfather's hand, and give him a glass of water.

"Take that, and don't hide it somewhere so you make me think you actually took it!"

He had a habit of doing that, yet again, like a child, who didn't want to eat their vegetables, and fed them to the dog. My grandfather would hide his medication under his pillow, or somewhere where I couldn't find it. Then he'd tell me he took it.

"Aw, come on Rei! Where's your sense of humor, huh?"

I give him an intimidating stare, as he immediately swallows the pill, and takes off to his bedroom. I sigh loudly, as Phobos and Deimos fly over and perch on my shoulders. They lived in the house sometimes, because they would get lonely. Especially during migration season, when the other ravens would take up all of the space in the trees, leaving them out. They would come inside and sit with me. I never minded it. They were good birds. I pick up the blue envelope again, and continue to rip open the seal.

"Let's see what Dad sent us, Phobos and Deimos."

I open up the envelope, and pull out a white sheet of paper, folded in two. I hesitate for a moment, unable to unfold it, and reveal its contents. I was nervous about this. What if it were a threat, or some sort of cruel trick? I never thought that way about my father, but it was so unusual. He never sent letters, ever. Not for a year. Not even when he promised to send that stupid check to help us out. He ditched us. Deimos bites at my left ear, urging me to go on. I smile just slightly, for him, and take in a deep breath.

_Please, let this be something good…_

I unfold the paper quickly, and see something flutter down onto the table. A little blue slip of paper, was within the folded white piece. I flip it to its front side, and gasp. That little blue slip was a check…for thousands and thousands of yen. It was impossible! How could this be? Was it a mistake or something? I discover that the white sheet of paper is actually a letter…from my father. I put the check down on the table, and read his message carefully.

_My Dearest Rei,_

_I know it has been long since I've talked to you, or even seen you. What was it now…a year? Anyway, I hope you aren't still mad with me for leaving. It was for the best. I have made it big in politics, and I have sent you a little gift. It's like an apology gift of some sort. You probably have already discovered the check sealed within this letter, wondering why. That check, Rei, is the gift. Not to your grandfather, or to the shrine, but to you. With that, I want you to do what your mother would want, and what you would want…an education. I have sent in all of your paper work to the private, T.A. Academy Girl's School. They have accepted you, and that money is for your tuition for the three years of middle school you will attend there. You will start on the fifth of this month, and your uniform will be sent by mail. It should be here shortly after today. I love you too Rei…really I do._

_With All Of My Love,_

_Your Father_

I can't breathe, or even speak. I just continue reading the letter over and over again in my head, thinking that this is impossible. But at the same time that I am overjoyed that I can finally attend school, I am irritated. How could he hope I'm not mad at him? Of course I am! How was his leaving for the best? I'm practically scavenging for food and money! I slam the letter down on the table, and pick up the check once again. A private all-girls school? Just for middle school? With all of the money he had sent, I could probably feed grandpa and I, and pay bills for years! But I desperately wanted an education…and I refused to blow this chance. I take all of the contents of the envelope, and bring them to my room, sticking them in a drawer, and locking it. I would start school on the fifth, and be like any other girl…

* * *

I sort of laugh at myself as I twirl around in the mirror, admiring my new school uniform. It made me feel grown-up, and formal. The skirt was so elegant, and the uniform as a whole looked as if it came from riches. I had brushed my hair practically for hours. I had no need for makeup, because my eyelashes and features were so defined and perfect naturally. That was the gift from my mother. I actually looked just like her. I had taken an hour to explain to my grandfather that I was going to attend school now, and that I would be gone from eight a.m. until 3p.m. After that, I would do whatever school work that needed to be done, and even after that, I would take care of the shrine until nighttime. It was a grueling schedule, but a price that needed to be paid for a good education. I run outside, briefcase in hand, waiting for the bus to come and bring me to T.A. I feel nervous leaving the shrine for the first time. Then it hit me. This was _literally_ the first time in my _entire life_ that I had left the shrine…alone. I had never been about the city of Tokyo alone before. I would usually just go to the little food market a house or two down to shop, and then come back home. But this…was on a _much_ bigger scale. I feel a sense of panic rising within me, as I get on the bus, and watch the shrine shrink as it disappears into the distance. God, what was I going to do? How would school be? What kind of people would go there? Would they like me? These were all questions that were causing unnecessary stress to arise within me. I sit down in a bus seat, and nervously bite my lip, playing with my fingernails, which had been filed to perfection. We stop abruptly, and a girl with big, blonde, bouncy curls boards the bus. She's wearing a T.A. uniform, and sits across from me. This was the city bus. The school didn't have their own bus. Yet it would be nice if they did. The more students that boarded as we went along, the more people began to stare at me. They kept eyeing me, and whispering to each other. Instead of feeling embarrassed though, I tried hard as I could to listen in on their conversations. It was a surprise what I heard.

"Is her hair naturally straight like that? It's ridiculous!"

"Her skin…is _flawless.."_

"Look at those eyelashes! I'd bet _all_ the boys are in to her!"

"Is she seriously single? With those looks?"

They giggle as they continue whispering about me. But their comments were nothing rude at all. They were _complimenting_ me. I see us near the academy, and the bus suddenly falls silent. I take one last deep breath before plunging into my first full day of school…_ever. _

* * *

As we get off the bus in front of the school, the girl with blonde curls taps me on the shoulder. She had a group of four or five others behind her, staring at me.

"Excuse me, if you don't mind my asking, are you new here?"

I tuck my hair behind my ear, and try to smile.

"Um…yeah-I mean, yes. I am new here."

The girl smiles.

"So am I."

She extends her hand out to me, as the other girls group around us.

"My name is Teruko."

I shake with her calmly, but I could feel my hands shivering. I had never been so nervous in my entire life.

"Rei…Hino…"

We stop, and she smile friendly-like again.

"Are you from around here?"

"Um, yes…I live at Hikawa Shrine."

They all gasp.

_"Really?!"_

I was surprised at their reactions. I try to remain cool. Were they going to harass me?

"Um, yes. I'm from there."

A red-headed girl with short hair from the back comes to me.

"So you're a Miko?"

I nod nervously, trying to keep as subtle as possible. I didn't want to cause an uproar. Being a Miko was an honor in a way. I had to keep that in mind.

"My mother and father used to live with my grandfather and I at the shrine. But it was set on fire, and my mother died in a coma. My father left us to go into politics somewhere that I don't know of, but I still have my grandfather."

They all sigh in awe.

"How heroic of you!"

"You take care of yourself?"

"You're amazing!"

I didn't know that my depressing personal life could be so interesting. But I don't think my life was what they were interested in…compared to my looks…

"Is your hair naturally like that? So straight!"

"What do you use on your skin? It's flawless!"

"Do you have a boyfriend? I'll bet he's lucky!"

"Your eyelashes are so long, and beautiful! What mascara do you use?"

I had a million beauty questions being shot at me at once. So I answered them all simply.

"Yes, no it's natural, no I'm single, and no it's natural as well."

They all shriek in excitement, that is until the bell rings, and they all take off in different directions.

"Wait! Where do I go?"

Teruko, the blonde girl, pulls me by the arm, and hands me a schedule.

* * *

My first day of school, I would have to say, was a success. I made a ton of new friends, (mostly due to natural beauty, but I'll take it), and I did pretty well in all of my classes. I was able to get homework done, and take care of the shrine at the same time. Grandfather took his nighttime medication, and we were all good. School made me start to believe in myself, just a little. I have to admit, I'm pretty harsh. I told all of those annoying girl who kept following me around to shut up and go to class. They looked shocked, but it wasn't like I punched anybody (I just might if this beauty stuff continues). I liked the attention, but it annoyed me how the only reason they wanted to be around me, was to gain some beauty secrets from my arsenal. To tell you the truth though, the only thing in my arsenal is genes from my mother, that none of them will ever have. But all in all, things went the same every day. Half-way through the school year though, I adjusted to my surroundings enough to just be myself…my harsh, cranky, nagging self…which lost me all of my friends. But that was okay too, considering the fact that I don't need any friends. I was alone for years! What made them think that I needed friends? Ha! Suckers! I can fend for myself, and _be_ by myself. It's just how the world spins round…

**The last chapter will be up shortly! I hope you have enjoyed everything so far!**


	9. Thirteen Years Old: Conclusion

**The Present…**

So…I guess I'm pretty much ready to wrap up this story, aren't I? Well, before I do so, I have a few slight little details to throw at you. First, because I became so popular at school (soon to be less popular later on), we gained many patrons to our shrine. I was surprised that a little bit of middle school popularity could do so much. We now have many more regulars, and they aren't just adults. Children, and other middle school students come to pay their respects as well. I was very pleased. Although, grandfather needs to stay away from the teenage girls…all else is well. Buses now drop people off to the shrine, and pick them up from it hourly. I have enough money to pay for groceries, and bills, which I was able to cut down on by saving water and electricity. Finally, I never heard from my father since the letter. I assume he's still making millions in politics, and not sharing it with anybody. Did I ever forgive him? No. _Will_ I ever forgive him? Maybe. Presently, I am in seventh grade, a second-year student, at T.A. I have learned many life lessons from my experiences. The first one? Don't play with fire. No, literally, don't do it. I made myself miserable by looking into those flames, but with reason. I was not going to waste this gift I have. I can foretell the future, and this power allows me to plan in advance for future happenings. But lately, I have had the strangest premonitions. Enemies invading this planet, and bringing it to darkness. These are odd premonitions after all, and I am currently trying to dismiss them. But I feel a great negativity in the air. An aura of darkness coming for me. Maybe it's just my imagination. Where was I? Oh, life lessons. Second, I have learned that family can easily be torn apart by a troubling event. Death is just another stage of our lives, whether we accept it or not. My mother may not be here anymore, but I will always love her in spirit. Finally, I have learned to forget. I have forgotten all of those awful events that put me into depression, and shoved them aside. I have a new life, and I am lucky to be in the position I am in right now. I'm alive and well with my grandfather, and two ravens. That's all that matters, right? Anyway, I have to go. I'm boarding the bus to get back to the shrine, and this odd, blonde, bun-headed girl with a cat is following me. What a nuisance!

**Well, this is the end of my Rei fan fiction! I really hope you enjoyed it, and will stay tuned for my next one! My next senshi fan fiction will be about Makoto! I am ready to have fun with it very soon, and will post the first chapter ASAP. I am almost done with series 1 of the "Before they were Senshi". Series 2 will be about the outer senshi, and Series 3 will be about Mamoru Chiba, Chibi-Usa, and other characters that I can conjure up back stories for. Stay tuned!**


End file.
